Several prominent filmmaking content creators, including Matti Haapoja and Sam “Kold” Kolder, have drawn criticism after publishing videos demonstrating the capabilities of the AI platform Higgsfield. The videos showcase Higgsfield’s recently added Seedance 2.5 functionality and present these technologies as the future of video production.
Following the release of these videos, other creators began sharing what appeared to be screenshots of partnership offers they had received from PR firms working on Higgsfield’s behalf. This prompted many viewers to conclude that Higgsfield had been enlisting creators to raise its profile and build public goodwill. Almost immediately, audiences began criticising Haapoja and Kolder for their apparent collaboration with the platform.
Neither Haapoja’s nor Kolder’s videos were labelled as advertisements. A Higgsfield PR manager, Nuray Omarkhan, later stated that “the creators were compensated through a negotiated combination of monetary payment and Higgsfield credits.” Nonetheless, by producing and posting content that closely resembled promotional material, both creators left portions of their audiences feeling alienated.
What the Videos Show
Haapoja and Kolder both frame Higgsfield and Seedance 2.5 as innovative tools with the potential to transform the entertainment industry. Haapoja’s video resembles an infomercial, explaining how Cully Hill Boys, Higgsfield’s feature-length film starring AI-generated duplicates of YouTubers Mikyle “N3on” Rafiq and Matt Kiatipis, was produced using prompts. He also demonstrates Seedance 2.5’s capabilities with AI-manipulated footage of himself placed in various science-fiction settings.
Kolder’s video, titled “AI is replacing me”, opens with an explanation of his background in video production before shifting into a fictionalised narrative in which he explores Mauritania with the assistance of a robot. Both videos combine footage of real people with distinctly uncanny AI-generated imagery.
Criticism From Fellow Creators
On Threads, Haapoja’s video attracted pushback from fans and fellow creators who regard him as a peer. Marques Brownlee objected to Haapoja comparing generative AI to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, an iconic DSLR known for making 1080p full HD shooting more affordable for independent filmmakers. Brownlee stressed that, unlike the 5D Mark II, a physical tool that people still had to learn how to use, generative AI is “trained on real human-made material without any credit.”
The response to Kolder’s video on YouTube proved more varied than the largely negative reaction to Haapoja’s. Many viewers responded positively, with comments praising the transitions and cinematic quality. However, for every enthusiastic remark, others expressed disappointment, with some lamenting that “AI defeated our king” and insisting that “no AI can replace creative artists.”
Neither Haapoja nor Kolder responded to questions about whether the videos represented paid partnerships.
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Image: theverge.com
